Applications

Applications

One-time programmable (OTP) memory IP is gaining increasing acceptance and use in a broad range of digital and analog/mixed signal chips. There are several types of OTP memory technologies that can be embedded on chips - flash, eFuse, and ROM among them. Only one offers high security, high reliability, low cost, field-programmability, high density and low power - Sidense's 1T-Fuse™, single-transistor bit-cell OTP IP.

Sidense NVM IP is replacing more traditional types of embedded NVM in many types of applications that require OTP and eMTP (emulated Multi-Time Programmable) memory, including:

Code Storage

Storing boot code and firmware on the same chip as a processor adds code security and eliminates the need for the extra area, power and system footprint off-chip code storage requires. High density, field programmability, low power and eMTP operation of Sidense OTP macros permits code modification or replacement during system development and throughout the lifetime of the end product.

Secure Encryption Keys

Secure encryption keys are of critical importance in many consumer and industrial products to protect digital content and other intellectual property. Sidense's antifuse-based 1T OTP macros are virtually impossible to reverse engineer and do not have the security limitations inherent to NVM based on charge storage in the bit cells. Field programmability and eMTP operation are needed in HDCP and other secure systems to support the updating of compromised keys and to account for a change of subscription permissions for content transfer, such as for a set-top box.

Analog Trimming and Calibration

Variations in chip processing and packaging operations result in deviations of analog circuits and sensors from their target specifications. Field programmable, low cost and low power Sidense OTP is used to optimize the performance and yield of on-chip analog circuits and external analog components such as LCD displays, touch panel controllers and automotive sensors. The trimming operation compensates for variations in the analog circuits and sensors due to manufacturing variances of these components. Trimming can also be used to match the performance of a display or audio component to the preference of a user.

Identification Tags

ID tags are used to identify, track and retrieve information from both inanimate and animate objects, including packages in transit, food items, animals and even people. Uses for tracking systems, of which Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is the most common, include inventory control, shipment tracking, wildlife migration pattern identification, and patient monitoring in hospitals, among many others. An RFID tag is placed on the object to be tracked and can then be read by an RFID reader, at a distance that can be as far as several meters away. ID tags are also used to track chips. Chip IDs enhance product and system security, as an anti-piracy mechanism, for example, and to help in identifying problem sources in case of failures.

Chip and Processor Configurability

SoC configurability lets one chip be used in several systems that have variations in their feature sets. An example would be an automotive entertainment system that is used in different cars from the same manufacturer, each with a different level of audio subsystem. The system configuration is done by setting the operation of the chip either at the factory or in the field using OTP memory. Configurability is also used to set user preferences for parameters such as the contrast of an LCD display or frequency response of audio receiver. System configuration can also be done “on the fly” to adjust processor parameters based of the type and speed of the data it is processing. Sidense's fast, field-programmable and low power OTP can be used in both of these types of configurability applications.

Many Sidense customers use a single OTP macro for several purposes, such as code storage, analog trimming and secure key storage.